


Missing Pieces

by TheRedHero11037



Category: Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Human Experimentation, I PROMISE THIS ISNT ALL GROSS I JUST WANT TO BE CAREFUL, Implied/Referenced Torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-28
Updated: 2015-08-28
Packaged: 2018-04-17 15:28:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4671773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRedHero11037/pseuds/TheRedHero11037
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zack finds himself in a hospital room he doesn't recognize with a distinct lack of memories and a pain in his stomach. While his days are spent trying to put himself and his friend Cloud back together, his nights are ruled by a sadistic shadow who wants to test the limits of what Zack is capable of.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

Everything was in a greenish haze when he awoke. He didn’t feel like himself. He barely felt like he was there at all. Was this a dream? Probably. He tried to move his legs, but they were held down, and he found the same of his arms. There was something hard against his back, but he couldn’t feel the temperature.

He became vaguely aware of a discomfort in his stomach. His chest hurt a bit too, but it was more of a soreness than the strange twist in his gut. It didn’t even hurt too much, it was just uncomfortable. He groaned a bit unconsciously and slid his eyes open. A shadow was graciously blocking a bright light from his face. It hummed at him, and gleaming blue circles stared back at Zack. “Well, this is certainly interesting,” the shadow said. Something tugged his hand, warm and slick. Zack stuck his tongue out in disgust. “I’ve never had someone awake during one of these,” the shadow continued. “Are you in any pain?” The voice was familiar, but Zack couldn’t place it. “Are you in any pain?” it repeated, more annoyed now. Zack considered the question, and then answered it with a shake of his head. His voice wasn’t in the mood to work. He heard scratching. “That’s good. That’s very good. I didn’t expect this, even from something like you.” Something squished. Zack felt the discomfort ease, then a little spike of pain, then a faint chill. He felt exposed. His senses were returning to him, and that allowed him to feel the jab of a needle in the crook of his arm. He howled.

“Quiet down!” The shadow’s familiar voice scolded. “I’m saving you pain in the long run. Just rest. You’ll need it.”

Zack fell back into darkness and slept.


	2. Come Sunrise

Zack awoke in what seemed to be some sort of hospital room. He attempted to sit up, but the pain in his stomach demanded to be left alone. That could be one of the reasons why he was there, definitely. _You really did it now, Zack_ , he thought to himself, but it just didn’t seem right. Didn’t he usually say his last name instead of his first name? He laughed a bit. He must have really messed up. “Now you’ve done it, um…” Zack realized with a start that he did not remember his last name at all.

 

“This should not be this hard,” he murmured, and he realized his voice was rough with thirst.  Was there a button to call a nurse? It was a hospital, right? A nurse could get him water and tell him his name and why he was here and stop that godawful squeaking he had managed to ignore until that moment. He found the button on the nightstand and slammed it with strength that he did not remember having. In fact…

  
“Oh no,” he croaked. Zack had a vague understanding that amnesia was a thing in books and movies, but he had never thought it would be _this_ bad. Here he was though, Zack Blank, laying back in a hospital bed with an illness or injury he did not remember getting at all. He chewed his lip impatiently and waited for the nurse to arrive.

 

Luckily, she arrived fairly quickly. Zack squinted at her. She had a familiar sharp face and familiar red hair. She was looking down at him with barely-concealed pity and shame. Zack blinked.

“Do you mind if I take care of 90995 first?” She asked softly.

  
“What’s a 90995?” He asked, bemused. “I mean, as long as I’m not waiting behind that many other people.”

  
She rolled her eyes fondly and fixed him with a soft smile. “90995 is the other guy who came in with you, your roommate. He’s shaking the bed, so I think he needs something. I’ll help you sit up to see him when I’m done. Alright?”

  
“Yeah, no problem.”

  
“Back in a flash.” And she disappeared from his sight.  
  


The quiet squeaking had escalated to a metallic rattle, but it soon quieted entirely. If Zack listened close enough, he could hear her talking gently to 90995. 90995 did not reply. Zack wondered if the guy was conscious. He decided to stop worrying about 90995 and focus on himself. His entire lower torso had a dull ache and as he went to try to touch the skin, he tugged his IV line by accident. Luckily it was probably still in the correct position on his elbow.

 

The nurse reappeared in his field of view before too long, looking considerably less stressed. “Sorry about that, 90994.”

 

“Zack,” he corrected. She smiled and he continued as it felt natural to do. “It’s actually Zachariah, but that’s a little outdated, so it’s Zack.”  
  


She nodded. “And your last name?” He averted his eyes. “Oh, that’s alright. What about my name?”  
  


Zack laughed awkwardly. “No clue. I don’t even know why I’m here. Or where ‘here’ is.”  
  


“No worries. We’re here to help. First thing’s first.” She stuck out a hand. “My name’s Shei. Nice to meet you, Zack.”  
  


Zack shook Shei’s hand politely. “Nice to meet you too.”  
  


“So, what did you need?”  
  


“Ah, water mostly, but also an explanation as to what the heck happened to me.”  
  


“I’ll try my best. You should sit up, first, though.” Zack nodded and allowed her to help him into a slightly awkward sitting position. It was less sitting and more leaning. Easier on his stomach that way. He looked around the room, glad to finally look at something other than the boring white-gray ceiling.

 

The room was decently sized. The walls were a slightly darker gray than the ceiling, and Zack noticed a recurring motif of red diamonds. If he squinted, he could see text on them, but Shei told him to stop. She wandered over to a cart by the door, allowing Zack to see the bed on his right side.

 

90995 sat up in bed, staring down at his lap. His blond hair was an utter mess, but it rang the familiarity alarm.  
  


“Cloud!” Zack cried, leaning over further to try and catch Cloud’s eye. His name was Cloud and he was Zack’s friend. Or it might not have been, because Cloud did not react in any way. Shei returned to his side, wielding a clipboard.

 

“Is Cloud his name?”

 

“Probably. Let me see his face.”  
  


Shei nodded and delicately turned Cloud’s face towards Zack. Everything matched up aside from the glowing green glaze over his eyes. “Cloud, what happened?” He asked, trying to get Cloud to say something to him. No response. “Did I do something wrong?”  
  


Shei shook her head and soothed, “It’s not you, Zack, don’t worry.” She let Cloud’s head loll back to where it was before and brushed a strand of red hair away from her eyes. “It’s the mako poisoning.”

 

“Mako… poisoning?” Now that he thought about it, it did seem familiar. “What happened to us, Shei?”  
  


She bit her lip. “I don’t know, Zack. All I know is that you two were in a bad accident and it’s our fault, so Shin-Ra’s caring for you.” She poured him a cup of water, which he gulped down, then another, which suffered the same fate, and he got halfway through a third before his thirst was quenched and he spoke again.

 

“The mako poisoning means Cloud won’t speak to me?”  
  


“He won’t speak to anyone, Zack, he can’t hear us. The mako is giving him a sensory overload. He’s been pretty much rendered blind, deaf, and mute.”  
  


Zack’s face fell. “Cloud… I’m so sorry.”  
  
“It wasn’t your fault, Zack. Don’t worry.”

 

But Zack did worry. He worried as she poked and prodded him for tests. He worried as she changed the bandages around his stomach (though this worry was more about the nasty wound stretched across his middle) and fixed his IV. He worried after she left and he was allowed to explore his own thoughts while he stared at Cloud, and he worried until he finally managed to nap the rest of the day away.

  
  


 

Shei returned at about six in the evening to wake Zack up. Zack would have happily continued sleeping through the night, but it was essential. “The doctor needs to see you,” she insisted as she tended to Cloud. “You’re far from being released. There’s a lot of work to be done. You’re lucky you’re sol-- er. So hardy.”  
  
Zack shrugged. “Fine, fine. Just promise me this won’t take too long. I want to make sure I keep Cloud company.”  
  
Shei stifled a chuckle. “That’s sweet of you, doing all that even though nothing will reach him.”  
  
“Hey, come on! I’ve been holding his hand all day,” Zack protested, swatting at her playfully.  
  


“It’s mako poisoning, Zack,” she told him firm, and somber. “And with the state it’s reached, it’s probable that he only has a vague awareness of balance. Nothing else.”

 

Zack fell silent for a long few moments and then mumbled, “Take me where you need to.”

 

After Shei fiddled around with the IV drip and helped Zack into a wheelchair, they began traversing the gray halls. Zack nodded off fast. They had hardly even reached the elevator before Zack was out cold.

  
  
  
  


 

 

Zack did not get the gift of sight this time, but he could feel and hear just a little bit. He wondered if he was supposed to be Cloud, but was quickly distracted by a pull at his side, though it felt like something was being moved on the inside. It happened twice more before he heard the low murmur of that familiar voice. That shadow had him again.

 

Zack tried to ask who the shadow was only to find that he was gagged. He almost recalled the shadow telling him to shut up the last time he was laid out here. Was the shadow going to stab him with a needle again?  
  


Again, just as Zack was getting lost in thought, something tugged in his gut and the shadow spoke, still too low for Zack to hear aside from two words: “Hold this.” Something quickly wiped over his hand, and before Zack could make a noise of confusion, something warm and wet was set in his open palm. He choked a low, disgusted hiss out from behind the gag.

 

“Interesting,” the shadow crooned, “seemingly no pain at all.”

  
Zack was so utterly vexed that he noticed nothing but the slimy thing leaving his hand as he fell into sleep again.


End file.
